Tension
by Snix
Summary: Raven's got a secret. That secret just might be the death of her.
1. Mumbo

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. I do, however, own the idea. It was my original story before I thought to myself that this would make a pretty fun fan fiction, too.

Warnings: There will probably be violence a little later, a bit of blood, and a dash of twisted humor. I figure I might as well just put it here that this is mainly the original TT universe, but Rae's got a side job. There's a slight insinuation of femslash.

Other: Hi. I'm from the Sesame Street for ravenous writers. I'm Review Monster! I love reviews so much. Will you help provide a review cookie for me to devour? I do so hope so. Because when Review Monster is hungry, small animals go missing.

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When she was meditating, her mind could wander. When she was meditating, she could do her job quickly and efficiently. When she was meditating, people died.

Of course, nobody knew it was her that stalked the shadows. If someone were to find out, the consequences would be dire. She would be hunted down, locked away, forbidden to her duty. And with no death, the world would fall apart.

She supposed that the job description was a little shady. Nobody had shown up with an informational video on _How To Be Death_, so she'd had to figure that out on her own. She did the best she could, allowing no-one who saw her to remain alive, carefully guarding her identity.

The most ironic part of her life was that when she wasn't taking lives, she was saving them, on a fairly daily basis. After all, that's what superheroes were supposed to do. They weren't supposed to wander the night claiming souls.

But… one did.

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"Friend Raven, I have prepared a breakfast of toast for you!" Starfire sang out. Raven was balanced on the couch a few feet away, a book resting in her hands. It was completely pointless for Star to cry so loudly, but Raven just decided that it was an alien thing.

The Titans had finally broken Starfire of her habit of cooking disgusting Tamaranian foods, only to find out that her only other skill was toast making. And she took to it like fleas on an opossum. Every morning was a new kind of toast. She tried toppings like mustard, peanut butter, ketchup, blue fungus, bologna, mayonnaise, and any other random non-edibles from the fridge.

Needless to say, she often found herself eating alone.

Raven flipped the page in her book, not really reading it. She had read each of her books dozens of times, but constantly had one in her hands. It gave her an excuse not to talk. If she always looked busy, there was less of a chance of someone starting a conversation.

"Raaaaaaven. Please, indulge yourself upon these delicious toasted breads!"

"Star. I'm reading."

"Could you not eat as well?"

Raven's stomach did a back flip, "Sorry, Star. I'm not hungry."

Star's face fell, "I am sorry. I will leave you to your book."

"Thank you." She didn't like being cold all the time, but it seemed expected of her, if not from being the dark sorceress than from her part time job. It hurt her to be cruel to Star the most, though, for reasons she didn't feel up to delving into.

Before she could turn another page, the alarm went off, sending a determined Robin to the console, a half-clothed Beastboy to stumble into the room, white towel wrapped tightly around his waist, a shower cap on his head, and an excited Starfire to swoop to Robin's side.

Raven really detested seeing them two together. Star was obviously interested in him, but all Robin was interested in was work. It wasn't Robin that she disliked; quite the contrary, in fact. She respected him for his devotion to the team. What she didn't care for was the way he just disregarded Star's feelings.

His voice broke her concentration, "Mumbo's broken into the museum. Beastboy, go get dressed and find Cyborg. Star, you and Raven go wait in the T-car. I'm going to go and grab a gadget I created to stop his magic."

Raven reluctantly placed the book on the couch and got up. Star smiled at Robin's disappearing form; Raven scowled.

When they were both seated in the back of the car, Raven couldn't hold her tongue any longer, "It's pointless to chase him."

"Who am I chasing?"

"Robin."

"I did not know he was running."

"He won't return your feelings."

Star's face fell, "Is it that easy to see?"

"I'd have to be a blind koala not to see it, or a guy. They're both about the same thing."

"Are you saying I should give up?"

Raven couldn't meet her eyes, "I was just meaning that you shouldn't place all your hope on him. There are probably dozens of other people dying to date you." She cringed at her own words. In a way, they were true. Tons of men – and a few woman for that matter – lined up to watch their favorite Titan fight, and some of them got caught in the cross fire.

Star swallowed uncomfortably, "Thank you, Friend Raven."

"I'm sorry, Star." Did those words just leave her mouth?

Too late to think about it; the rest of the Titans piled into the car and Cyborg zoomed off to the museum. Mumbo was giggling near a statue of a man carrying a box. He tapped his wand on it and the box splung open, sending dozens of exploding stuffed rabbits at the newly arrived heroes.

Raven fluttered to the side, drawing her trademark hood up over her head. There was a slight tug on her senses, which could only mean one thing. Someone here wasn't going to survive.

Her hands shone black and she prepared to unleash a few shots, but her help was not needed. Robin threw a small silver box at Mumbo's feet; it exploded in a billow of smoke, and Raven couldn't tell what happened.

All she knew was that her need to meditate was growing. The smell of death was on the air, if anybody but her could smell it. She shuddered, hoping that it was only Mumbo she was supposed to reap.

All the attention in the room was on the smoke, so she slipped behind a statue and began her ritual of meditating. She slipped out of her body, now dressed in the customary black robes that slipped past her feet to drag on the ground. She carried no scythe.

With her new form, the smoke was hardly a nuisance; she could clearly see Mumbo lying on the floor, panting hard. There was no blood, but that meant nothing to her. The trails of death lead to him.

She stepped on his wand, shattering it. He gazed at her with panic filled eyes as he reverted to his old form.

"We can just call this a joke between friends, can't we?"

She didn't answer, but walked closer.

"It was just a prank! A harmless prank!" He coughed, showering blood onto his waiting hand, "Wait! You…" His cry was cut off as she reached into his chest, yanking his soul free.

His mortal body slumped to the ground.

Raven returned to her own body, tucking the soul into a small bottle to be taken care of later. She rejoined the group seconds later; in all, the reaping had taken thirty seconds or so.

The smoke cleared and Robin fell to his knees, "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Star joined him on the ground, "What… what happened?"

The Boy Wonder with all the answers was at a loss. Raven closed her eyes for a moment.

"The box shattered releasing a gas."

"It was knock-out gas…" Robin stuttered.

What Raven couldn't tell him was that Mumbo had been sick before. He was going to die today, attack or no attack. After reaping a soul, she could see into it and all its ailments. All she could offer as far as help for her friend was a pat on the back.

"Don't beat yourself up. Nobody is going to blame you."

His face was ashen, "I didn't mean…"

"Star, help him out to the car." Cyborg murmured. He approached the limp form, prodding it and taking bio-readings. When the ambulances arrived, Mumbo had been dead for twenty minutes.

It was days like this when Raven hated her job.

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Mumbo wasn't the only crook that day at the museum. Someone else crouched in the shadows, watching. Someone noticed Raven leaving her body. Someone smirked a little smirk and began to plan.


	2. The Shocking Flame

Disclaimer – I own naught but the plot. Totally.

Warnings – A little violence in coming chapters. This, unfortunately has little physical violence. Very slight Robin twisting. I love the boy dearly, but it had to be done…

Other – Not a whole lot going on here. The story will pick up after this chapter. But somethings needed to be set up.

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Star lay on her bed, head hanging off the edge. Raven's word still haunted her memory and they seemed to ring true. With work on his mind, Robin would never have time for her.

Raven had changed greatly since they had met. At first, she had thought the strange dark girl was weird, even bordering on freakish. There was a tension between the two that had not completely disappeared yet, but had greatly diminished.

Star only wanted Raven to be happy these days. Raven was the closest thing to a best friend she had.

A knock on the door caused her to slide off the bed, narrowly avoiding thunking her head on the floor. It slid open revealing the girl she had just been thinking about. Star scrambled to her feet, blushing slightly.

"Friend Raven! I hope you are well."

"I am. Listen, Star, I just wanted to talk to you about what I said earlier."

"Please, come in."

Raven couldn't get comfortable in such bright and obviously cheery room, so she sat awkwardly on the edge of Star's bed.

"Don't take it too hard… I'm sure if you talk to him, tell him how you feel, it'll get through his skull."

"I have thought about it, as well. It is not worth it to tell him. I should not ask him to choose between his work and myself."

"Star, any sane man would choose you."

"But I do not wish Friend Robin to give up his work."

Raven sighed, "I just hope I didn't make you feel too badly earlier."

Her cold demeanor melted slightly, and Star beamed, clasping her hands together.

"Oh no, Friend Raven. You have brightened my day."

"Glad I could… help…" Raven sidled quickly out of the room, "I'm going to go meditate now."

Raven settled down to meditate, drawing her knees up to float cross-legged, hands resting on her knees. Eyes sliding shut, she felt immediately at peace with herself. Easily separating from herself, she left her mortal form floating in her bedroom.

Her spectral body quivered for a moment and then slowly appeared firm. Walking through the wall and out into the fresh air, Raven started her rounds.

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Robin stared at the screen, rewatching his battle with Mumbo, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Everything had been planned immaculately. Nothing bad was supposed to happen. Mumbo would be knocked unconscious, he would step in as the genius behind his weapon, take the credit with a humble bow, Mumbo would be locked up, and all would be normal.

But nothing was normal now. He was a murderer. He killed a man.

No… he couldn't have.

He was Robin. He was the Boy Wonder.

He wasn't allowed to make mistakes.

Someone else must have sabotaged him. Someone else was the murderer.

But who?

The video replayed but this time something different caught his eye. Raven disappeared from view as the smoke exploded. She was gone for 31.002 seconds. What had she done in that time?

She was evidently the one out for his place as leader of the Titans. She wanted him to lose his position. She wanted him to be hated. She wanted him gone.

The thing, though, was to strike her first. But she couldn't know it was him. That would mean seeking outside help. Easy. Too easy.

A small voice at the back of his head demanded he stop; Raven was his friend! She'd never hurt him. But an even louder voice screamed that he couldn't have killed Mumbo. Raven did.

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His plans were laid, immaculately set. The first step was physical pain. That was given rather easily. All he had to do was pay some idiot enough money.

It was to his advantage that most crooks in this town were willing to take on the Titans for dirt. Everybody had a vendetta against the crummy teen heroes. For every person they saved, they earned a handful of angry would-be villains.

A precarious situation. One stone could easily over throw the balance. A pebble, in fact.

Or a rogue hero.

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"You'll never stop The Shocking Flame!" The newest – and possibly the lamest – villain of Jump City laughed manically, head thrown back. His outfit was a black sweat-suit with spray painted flames on the edges. Though his outfit was a laugh, his technology could be considered dangerous.

A spurt of electrical lightning danced from his fingertips, setting a nearby hedge on fire.

Beastboy morphed into a llama, spitting on it, putting it out. He jumped into being a ram, rushing the misfit miscreant. The Shocking Flame sidestepped neatly and ran into the maze.

The Teen Titans had gotten a call nearly ten minutes earlier; a farmer complaining that a whack-o in a costume was ruining his crops. They arrived on his farm and were met with a corn maze.

Beastboy became human again, complaining loudly, "Why do they always run? He's not even that a-MAZE-ing." He laughed outrageously at his own joke. Nobody else bothered even smiling.

"Split up. Raven take left, Star take straight ahead, Cyborg, you and Beastboy take right. I'll head to the other side if he comes out. Titans, GO!"

Raven floated slowly down the left venue, glancing around uneasily. Something felt wrong about this, horribly wrong. But it was nothing she couldn't deal with on her own. She repeated that a few times in her head, controlling the unexplained fear that dripped through her veins.

Eventually she came to a fork in the road; again she chose the left side. As soon as she stepped into the row, the ground beneath her gave way. She didn't have time to scream as she plummeted into a pit.

The ground was approximately thirty feet down, but she had enough sense to slow her fall so that she didn't break any bones. The light above her vanished as the pit closed up again.

Sore, but otherwise unharmed, Raven tried to figure out where she was. It was dark, cold, and moist. Which gave her a plethora of places she may or may not be.

The sounds of battle rang out from somewhere above; Presumably the Shocking Flame and her friends. Calming herself, Raven flew to the ceiling, running her hands over it to try and find a weakness, a crack. It was smooth.

Her eyes began to see better in the darkness, allowing her the small discovery that she was in a square room with no visible entrances or exits except a locked door on the far wall.

A torch near the door suddenly lit up and a hauntingly familiar voice slid through the air, taunting her.

"Welcome, Raven, to your own personal hell."


	3. Scars

Disclaimer… Why do I bother?

Warning… I warn thou of the regular. Things might get bloody in this chapter.

Other… For those of you who have reviewed, the Review Monster won't attack. Nor will he save the narwhals unless, well, his hunger is sated. With reviews?

AND. Much apologies if my villain is OOC. I needed a villain and he seemed to fit the bill as far as rogue hero went. And I do so love the sadistic nature of this chapter?

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Raven whirled around, trying to locate the noise, "Where are you?"

"I'm all around." The voice seemed to come from the walls.

"Red X, I'm not playing games with you."

"I know you're not." He peeled out of the shadows, mask as blank as always, "I'm not either."

She lunged at him, but he grabbed her wrists, pinning her to the rough stone wall.

"Hey! Watch those talons, Rae-Rae." He taunted; his employer had paid good money for his services, though he would have done this for free.

Struggling, she tried to mutter her three words, but he cut her off, jamming his mouth on hers in a bruising kiss. As air was escaping her, leaving her light headed and faint, he drew back.

"I would advise you not to try anything stupid. You can't get out without me. Oh, and don't try to phase through the walls or the door. You're buried in a whole lot of cement, sweet Raven, and the door has protection against it."

She glared at him, but stayed motionless, "You won't get away with this. Robin and the others will find me. They'll track me down."

"You mean with this?" He waved her T-Signal device in front of her face before crushing it in his fist, "Whoops. I slipped."

A growl rumbled in her throat, "You'll have to let me go eventually."

"Hmm. Maybe, but for now, I'll leave you on your own. Even the great hermit Raven must get lonely sometimes." He melded back into darkness.

She beat her hands against the wall where he had just been, frustrated. Things weren't looking bright in her future, not that they ever did anyways. Before her emotions took hold, she took a deep breath, regaining composure.

Losing control and giving into fear was counterproductive.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" She fell into her meditative state, not trying to become the reaper, but merely trying to get a hold of herself. Her position appeared problematic, but that didn't mean there wasn't a solution.

X had mentioned that she couldn't leave the room without him. Perhaps he had a key. Or perhaps he was playing with her mind. She knew she wasn't in fatal danger, though. After all, could one really kill death?

After a while, she simply lost track of time down in the dark. It could have been minutes or hours later when the torch relit. It broke her concentration, and she looked up in time to see Red X appear in front of the door.

"Rae, do you have any idea how long you've been down here? A normal person would have gone a little crazy at the idea of being trapped in a small dark space alone for an undetermined amount of time. But not you, little blackbird, you're never normal."

She remained silent, sizing him up, wondering if an attack would do anything but return her to darkness. The sound of him cracking her knuckles sent a shiver down her spine.

"Can you guess how much I was paid to do this? Or, for that matter, who paid me?"

"This is about money?"

"Oh, no. This is about fun. Something you _heroes_ can't seem to understand." He spat out the word venomously.

"Just because we think that duty comes before pleasure –

"My dear Raven, fun should come before duty. You'll give yourself a heart attack with all the constant stress you must be under."

"My health is none of your concern. Let me go."

He waggled his finger at her, "Not just yet."

Bonding back into the shadows, he slunk around the room. Raven listened to the rustle of his clothing as he crept along the walls and finally right up behind her.

"Let's play a little game, Raven."

She resisted the urge to deck him, "If I win, will you let me free?"

"Oh, I think that could be arranged."

"What game are you talking about?" She hissed, clenching her teeth, already fed up with him. Her hiss was cut off as a smooth metal caressed her throat.

"Stay alive."

The torch went out, and the knife pressed closer, slicing her skin. She jerked back, into his body. Elbowing him in the stomach, she slid away, one hand pressed to the slight bleeding from the incision in her throat.

Being in the dark was hardly a problem for her. Her other five senses kicked in even stronger than they were, especially her spiritual sense. She'd never been so glad for her sixth sense before. Locating him was the easy part; He was behind her again. Landing a hit and getting away proved to be harder.

Quite suddenly, he grabbed her left arm, twisting it behind her back, "Looks as though you're losing."

She grunted, struggling to free her arm. The knife he was carrying plunged deep into her wrist and it was all she could muster to not scream. Removing the knife, he edged back, letting her fall to her knees.

Combined with sweat, her blood made forming fists almost impossible. She needed peace and calm to use her healing abilities, so she needed to end this fast. X slipped in front of her, dagger glinting dangerously in the dark.

This had to end now before she was too injured to function. She staggered to her feet and kicked as hard as she could at the hand that held the knife. Successful, the knife went flying somewhere else, and X was left to hand to hand brutality.

Raven felt like a cripple. Her left arm was useless as long as her wrist was bleeding profusely. If she moved too much, she might further injure her throat. A few weeks ago, Beastboy complained about being caught between a rock and a hard place because his tofu had gone bad and no stores were open. He had to choose between going hungry or eating meat.

Beastboy had no idea what that saying could really mean.

"Little bird, I was warned you weren't going to be easy to take down. This is going to be fun."

His fist flew towards her unprotected left cheek making contact and sending Raven sailing into the rocky wall of the cavern. A cut split open on her forehead, dripping into her eyes. Sputtering, she tried to clear her eyes.

This was not going well. If she couldn't defeat him as Raven, her only hope was to defeat him as Death, but to do that she needed a moment's peace to center herself. She didn't see that coming anytime soon.

A hand grabbed her ankle, dragging her away from her landing place. Nails digging into the stone floor, Raven tried to scramble in the other direction. It was useless. Red X pulled her close and pushed her down until she was flat out on her back, staring up at where she assumed his head was.

Quickly, he straddled her waist. This was worth every penny he was getting paid.

"Any last words, Rae?" He seemed to be willing to wait for a response, so she took another calming breath, and released her soul.

The Reaper had no injuries, no slit throat, no stabbed wrist, no broken skin, only a deep hatred for the man who had inflicted that on her other body. Surprised, Red X glanced up, his eyes unusually adjusted to the dark. Their eyes met, but before X could say anything, she grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air.

As he dangled there, she smirked, "I do, actually have some last words, though at this point, I should be asking for yours."

He coughed roughly, trying to get air to his lungs. Legs kicking hopelessly, hands braced against her arms, he thrashed about, desperate to live. The grip tightened, and slowly his motion tapered off, and he just hung, feet barely touching the ground.

She reached into his chest, and squeezed her hand into a fist, crumpling his soul. No, she wouldn't kill him, not now. It wasn't his time now.

But that didn't mean she'd make life easy on him. By tainting his soul, she had ensured he'd live the rest of his life in constant agony. No doctor would be able to diagnose him, let alone treat such a spiritual problem.

That would be revenge enough.

She fell back into her body, standing up shakily. Running her hands around his still body, she located a hidden pocket, stealing the key to it. As she approached the door, she cast a sullen glance over her shoulder.

"Don't play games with death. You'll never win."

He blearily opened his eyes, "You're… just going to leave me here?"

His question received no answer; she had already left the room.

The halls outside of her cell were a maze of dead ends, booby traps, and darkness. The loss of blood was making her head light. A few hours of wandering around lost brought her to her senses; she wasn't in danger anymore. She could easily heal herself.

Settling down, she raised her glowing blue hands and sealed off the wound on her neck. Since she hadn't taken care of it in time, a small white scar traced where the blade had been. The same thing happened with her arm; now there was a bulbous scar in the center of her lower arm. Fortunately the cut on her forehead was shallow enough to be healed completely with no outside marking.

That problem taken care of, she decided it was best to find a way out.

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Star was going crazy with worry. Raven had been absent from the Tower for almost eight hours. Robin wrote it off as Raven just acting like Raven, and Cyborg shrugged and said she'd be back in her own time. Beastboy, who hated to see her sad, tried to distract her by taking on the form of her favorite animals.

Eventually, she retired to her room, passing Raven's door as she did so. There was noise, as if someone was rifling through Raven's belongings. Star knocked cautiously.

"Friend Raven? Are you in there?"

The motions immediately stopped.

"I wish to make sure you are unharmed. You did not show up for the fighting with the Shocking Flame."

More silence.

"Ah. Perhaps I was just hearing things."

She continued onto her room, but couldn't get the noises out of her head. What if Friend Raven was hurt and needed help. Star couldn't sit by and let her friend be. Decisively she marched down the hall, and knocked roughly on the door.

It slid open, revealing a very perturbed Raven.

"Yes, Starfire?"

"I wished to make sure you were not bleeding to death. I heard noises coming from your room ten minutes ago and I was worried."

"I'm fine."

"You do not appear fine." Star wanted to come inside, but respected that Raven didn't let _anybody_ in her room and it wasn't personal.

"Maybe. But I need time to heal myself."

Star's eyes traveled to the thin scar, "When did that happen?"

Raven's hand flew to her throat, "It… Please, Star, leave me be."

Nodding, Star ducked her head and backed away, "I wish, Friend Raven, that you might trust me."

Guiltily, Raven shut her door, receding into her lair. Star stared at her door for a few minutes, thinking, before returning to the common room. Beastboy lounged on the couch, a leg thrown over the back, his mouth open and drooling.

She couldn't help but smile.

Why could not all her friends be so happy?

Robin entered the room, face drawn in concentration. There was book in his hands, ancient and dusty. Like something Raven might read.


	4. Reaping

Disclaimer – Um. I don't own anything… Well, technically I own myself and stuff. But not in the story.

Warnings – This chapter is more tame. Robin is still getting twisted but I repeat! I'm not doing things to Robin because I don't like him. I love him as much as the others, but he needs to be more twisted for this story.

Other – Give me a review and I'll be you best friend. For forever.

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Jump City was quiet for the next week or so. It was as if all the villains had decided to call a group vacation.

For Raven, that week was time enough to recover and regain control of her emotions. When she closed her eyes, she still saw Red X crumpled on the floor, still felt the blade plunging into her arm.

The other Titans had left to herself, nobody but Star questioning her absence, and after a while, Raven felt that she owed her only friend the truth. The next time Star came knocking, Raven would talk.

And at the rate Star was checking up on Rae, the next knock was due any moment. Raven glanced around her room, anxiously. Her walls were lined with bookcases overflowing with old texts and scrolls. Scattered around the room were small statues, some of demons, some of angels, some of other worldly creatures. Her bed was center stage, a large round thing with plenty of deep red pillows piled on top.

As she suspected, Starfire was at her door within two minutes.

"Friend Raven, please answer."

Raven opened the door apprehensively, "Star… would you like to come in?"

Star's jaw dropped, "I would love to enter the room of your sleeping! But… you do not let anyone in your room. I do not wish to impose."

"I'm closing the door Star. In or out?" Raven started sliding the door shut. Starfire squeezed her eyes closed and shuttled inside before Raven could lock her out again.

"It is…"

Raven waited for the usual remark; dark, murky, ugly, plain, dungeon-like, but it never came.

"It is simply glorious."

It was obviously a lie of some sort, but Raven was glad that Star at least tried to like it.

"Thanks. Star… I'd like to talk to you if I could."

"Of course, Friend Raven!" Star raced over to Raven's bed and leapt upon it, eyes wide, "I would greatly enjoy listening."

Raven settled down near the mound of pillows, placing one on her lap for comfort. It was an unconscious gesture, placing something in front of what scared her. Most people, when they were anxious, tried to get anything between them and another person, be a speaker with a podium, or a shy girl and her pillow.

"I'd like to tell you what happened while I was missing…"

Star listened with rapt attention, not wanting to interrupt Raven for fear of making Raven stop completely.

"When I was going through the maze there was a trap door, somehow. I fell through it and was trapped. It was set for me and that makes me wonder about Robin. He specifically sent me down that way on my own. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that Robin wouldn't try to hurt me."

Star's eyebrows furrowed together, though she remained silent.

"I was trapped in this cave, of sorts. There was only one way out, through this door. But it was locked and I couldn't get out. While I was down there, I was attacked by Red X. He said someone paid him to do this." Raven didn't want to say it, but she was sure it was Robin, "We ended up fighting and he managed to slice my neck and stab my arm. I couldn't heal them properly in time, and ended up with these lovely scars."

Reaching over, Star ran a finger across Raven's throat, "He did mean to kill you?"

"I think so. He seemed intent on hurting me."

"However did you beat him?"

Raven drew back, unsure if she should tell Starfire everything. Maybe she could get away with being vague.

"I… choked him."

"With your arm and neck in such horrible condition?"

"Yes…" The more she talked, the more she knew her story wasn't going to cut it. "Star, there are just some things I can't tell you."

"Do you not trust me?" Star held no blade, yet she could stab deeper than any sword.

"I do…" Raven trailed off. Would it really hurt to let one person in on her secret?

"Please, Friend Raven. Let me in."

Raven rubbed a hand over her face and sighed, "You wouldn't believe me."

"I would!"

"I'm a Reaper, Star."

"You are a what?"

"A Reaper. I take people's souls after death."

Star leaned back, drawing an arm across her stomach, "You kill people?"

"Not unless I have to. I haven't yet. It's kind of against the rules."

"There are rules for you?"

"Well, not written down. But I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be good if a living Death Reaper went around killing for fun."

"Did… did you kill Mumbo?"

"I told you, Star, I don't kill. I reap what others have sown. Mumbo was having heart problems; Robin's gas just threw him over the edge. It wasn't Robin's fault that Mumbo died."

"Why did you not simply tell Friend Robin that?"

"This is supposed to be a secret. I trust that you will tell no-one."

"Of course, Friend Raven, though I wish we might help Robin. He has not been well."

"I've done all I can except tell him about myself."

"I understand, Friend Raven, even if I do not like it." She leaned forward, giving Raven a gentle hug, "Thank you for confiding the secrets in me."

Raven let her hug for a moment before pushing away, "Thanks for listening." A small smile graced her lips, "I just hope I'm wrong about our Boy Blunder."

She couldn't have been more right.

"Can you handle this, Robin?"

"Of course," Robin's voice was sure and cocky, but his insides were tumultuous. It was one thing to think of revenge, and another to enact it.

He wasn't sure who was hiring him, but he'd followed his lead from the Shocking Flame to a dark alley where a shadowed figure hung about near trashcans.

The figure seemed all too expectant that Robin would show up.

Robin was unnerved, but if this would help him get his revenge, so be it.

"Good. I will set things up. All you need to do is put this in her drink and lure her to the spot we discussed." A gloved hand offered a small white tablet.

"This will drug her? I thought she was going to fight?"

"No, my boy, this will poison her."

Robin's smile faded a moment, "I didn't want her to die."

"If you want to make an omelet, you've got to crack a few heads…" With these parting words, the figure dissolved into darkness.

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Star entered her room, content with the world. Raven trusted her and she was a happy duckling. Her happy bubble was burst as she noted that her things had been moved around. Somebody had been in her room.

Instantly alert, she glanced around for a primary search. Nothing evident. A secondary search was required. Cautiously, she ducked her head into the closet. Her nose went straight into one of her outfits.

That was the last thing she remembered.

In the kitchen Robin stirred a cup of herbal tea. He was having serious second thoughts about this. But Raven needed to understand that he could not be toyed with. Robin was not a killer.

He took out the pill, staring at it for a minute or so before dropping it in the tea with a frown. The tea bubbled for a moment and then flattened. Raven would never know the difference.

Raven appeared in the doorway.

"Hello, Robin."

"Raven. I made you some tea. Star was telling us that you weren't doing too well."

"I'm feeling better now, thank you."

Robin gave her the cup, swallowing hard. He didn't want to give his ploy away, so he pretended to be wiping up the kitchen counter as she took her first few sips.

"Thanks, Rob. I really needed this." She nodded to him before going to shove Beastboy off the couch.

He smirked; after the deed was done it seemed almost too simple.


	5. Revenge of the Robin

Disclaimer – Not mine. ((sobs uncontrollably in corner)) Though I've never heard of a game called Cosmic Strikers 3. So maybe I made that up. Don't know.

Warning – Eh, a little messing around with mentality and sanity? Betrayal, yadda yadda yadda.

Other – Rubber ducky, you're the one. You make bath time OH so fun. Rubber ducky. I'm overly fond of reviews. Now that that's out of my system, I must apologize if my updates are coming too quickly. I wish to get this story, and a few others done by the time school starts again next week. So yeah.. Chapter five. You'll love it so much you'll wish it didn't exist?

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When Starfire didn't appear for dinner, Raven was a little worried. When she didn't show up for breakfast in the morning, Raven was extremely worried. Worried enough to go and knock on Star's door.

"Uh, Star? Are you in there?"

No answer.

"Star! Open up!"

The silence on the other side was killing her, so she pulled the door open; it was unlocked. Glancing around, Raven found the room empty, if a little messy. But she didn't make it a habit to come inside Star's room, so maybe that was normal.

The alarm sounded through the building, and Raven withdrew knowing that her ever pressing duty to the city overrode her self-imposed duty to find Star.

Robin leaned on the console, thinking, "Alright, it's just a bank robbery. Raven and I can handle this one on our own."

Cyborg shrugged, "Hey grass stain. Up for having your butt whooped at Cosmic Strikers 3?"

Beastboy chortled, "In your dreams, man!"

They lunged for the game system, barely remembering that the alarm had gone off at all. Raven trudged for the T-car, Robin hot on her heels. He seemed a little anxious about something, but she couldn't fathom about what.

He couldn't be nervous about the bank robbery; he himself stated that it would only require him and Raven. Raven sighed half-heartedly; Robin was probably still beating himself up over Mumbo.

"Robin, I hope you aren't still blaming yourself over Mumbo."

Forcing a smile on his face, he shrugged, "I guess it was bound to happen sometime. Everybody messes up." _Everyone except me. I don't mess up. That was your fault._

"That's good. Try to relax a little. You seem awfully tense for a bank robbery."

"Raven, look. This isn't a bank robbery. I sounded the alarm because I wanted to talk with you privately. Somewhere not in the Tower. Inside there are too many… distractions."

She nodded, "Alright, Robin."

Robin hid his inner glee; this was going almost too well. He drove out of the garage, through the city, to a wildlife preserve. Nothing to arouse her suspicion just yet. Heart pounding wildly, he opened the door for her – he at least could have manners – and lead her to a little picnic table.

"What do you want to talk about Wonder Boy?"

_That's right. Think you're safe. Let your guard down._ "About Mumbo. About how you killed him."

She sat up straight, "I. Did. Not. Kill. Him."

"Ahahaha. Joke's over. I saw you in the museum."

Her face paled more than usual, "You saw me?"

He had struck a nerve. That was just the damning evidence he needed to feel justified in hurting her, "And it's time I had my revenge."

She started to get up and leave, but her brain was having trouble processing things. It felt like a load of marshmallow fluff had been dumped behind her eyes while she wasn't looking. Needle pricks of pain danced along her finger tips.

"What… what did you do to me?"

Pain was etched on her face as her stomach started to rebel. Robin gulped as his self-assurance faded. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"I—

"Why did you kidnap… Starfire?"

"I didn't! Wait, Star's missing?"

"Since…" Raven closed her eyes in an attempt to make her thoughts collect in a coherent fashion, "Last night."

Robin cursed under his breath. What had his employer done with Star?

"Good job, Robin. Very good." The figure from the alley appeared on a tree branch far above Robin's head. He pulled out small vile which he tossed down to Robin, "There's the cure. I don't believe you shall be needing it, but I think it adds a little spice to the game."

Robin tucked it into his shoe and returned his gaze to Raven, "He's got the plan. I just brought you here."

The figure jumped from the branch and landed as lightly as a cat on the ground. No matter where he went, the shadows seemed to cling to him, "There are three innocent people somewhere in this forest, all awaiting their death. And then there's one sparkling Star already half dead. Oh, did I mention that all will be dead in half an hour? And you'll be dead in twenty-five minutes, max." He nodded his head to Raven, "Good luck." He was gone before Robin could protest.

"I didn't want innocent people involved in this." He kicked the dirt, "Go save them, murderess."

She blinked at him sluggishly, "I… won't be able to save them all… You save some… hero…"

He licked his lips, trying to think of a way out of this, "I… you can't… Go save Star."

She stumbled to a standing position and sent out waves of power, trying to locate the one that felt like Star. It was three hundred yards west of their current position. Meditating was hard work, but she had to do it. In her Reaper state the poison wouldn't be as strong.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" It was almost too hard to concentrate clearly enough on relaxing her body. Five minutes passed before she was able to step out of her body. Robin was long gone, off rescuing the people he had stupidly put in danger.

In her astral state, trees weren't an issue, so she ran in a straight line to Star's side.

The picture that met her wasn't a pretty one. The alien girl had been nailed to a tree, straight through the palms. She was standing on little wooden slats. The tree had been stained red with blood, from her hands and from the thousands of little scratches that appeared to cover Star's body. As soon as the other girl was in sight, her Reaper's sense tugged. Raven's face contorted in rage.

She wouldn't…. she couldn't possibly reap Star! It wasn't supposed to end this way!

She ran to the tree, pulling at the nails with her bare hands. Several of her nails cracked and blood of her own mingled with Star's. Star coughed slightly and gazed up, eyes glazed over.

"Raven… I knew you would come."

Raven's heart broke and she renewed her efforts. The tug to reap Star's soul was growing by the second, but Raven fought it as best she could. The nails appeared to be stuck fast to the tree, so Raven tried to figure out what was causing the rest of the damage. Most of the scratches she saw were minor, but she could only see the front half of her friend.

"Star, I'm going to move you. Please don't panic."

Star groaned; Raven took this as an agreeing sort of noise, and carefully lifted Star's feet from the posts to look at her back.

Her back was a bloody mess. Someone had stabbed her several times. Raven concentrated on trying to work her healing powers. They were greatly dulled in Reaper form, but still usable. She placed her hand on the wounds, hoping that this would at least help the problem.

The blood flow slowed and the infernal tug to do her job ebbed. It was still present, though, and Raven didn't like that. It was clear that Starfire needed real medical help, quickly. She had lost too much blood.

As much as Raven hated to admit it, she needed Robin. She bit her lip and stared at her dying friend.

"Starfire… hold on. I'm going to go get help."

It was times like this when she wished Red X hadn't crushed her communicator.

Zooming back to her body, she found Robin standing nearby, all three people bleeding, but not near death. Fifteen minutes had passed. Robin was staring at her mortal body oddly, like he expected her to be somewhere.

Right. He thought she was saving Star.

She phased back into her body, feeling the effects of the poison immediately, "Robin… Save Star… Nailed to tree…. Three hundred yards..."

His face twisted, "Is she alright?"

"She's… dying."

He blanched, and ran in the direction that Raven was pointing to, her finger shaking.

She felt her body start to shiver, but it was a sort of unconnected feeling, as if she were watching someone else deteriorate. From shivering she fell into convulsing in thirty second stretches.

And finally, her spirit pulled free of her body.

Just because you couldn't kill the Reaper didn't mean you couldn't kill the host.


	6. Broken

Disclaimer – Do I seriously have to reiterate this every chapter? OH! New thing I don't own. Spiderman's enemy. Yes, Spiderman is Marvel and Titans are DC, but I'm much more comfortable with using a baddie from Spiderman. So live with it.

Warnings – Eh, I guess I should have warned last chapter about character death. But why should I give away anything… So here is your warning one chapter too late. Character death. Beware!

Other – Reviews are like Klondike bars. Most people would do anything to get one. ((Would you kill a man? -Gunshot-))

After writing this chapter I realized that this story did not go the way I wanted it to. The ending is completely different than I had in mind, but you'll just have to live with it?

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Robin gazed at the two forms of the female Titans, neither moving. He had been glued to the infirmary since he returned their bodies back, silent. The only thing he'd told Cyborg was that the robbery was successfully overtaken, but Raven and Star had gotten hurt.

And for some odd reason, Cyborg didn't buy it. But he patched up Star's hands and fixed the hastily healed back wounds. All the little scratches would heal themselves soon, if she lived through the night.

All she had to do was pull through the night. If she managed that, she should stabilize in the early hours of the morning. Robin was constantly at her side, watching the small bumps on heart monitor, hour after hour. They rose and fell in shallow ditches. Every moment, he held his breath, praying that they'd rise again.

And, X'hal willing, they did.

Raven was another story. He half hoped she wouldn't make it through. She knew this whole thing was his fault. It would be so easy to make it look like an accident right now. Just borrow her pillow for a moment –

No. That would be admitting he was a murderer.

After pulling Star off the tree with his Bat-A-Rang, he had reluctantly dripped Raven the antidote. Once again, half hoping it was too late to save her. But no, she had to prove him an idiot by keeping a nearly nonexistent heart beat going.

Cyborg said that if she didn't improve in the next day or so, Raven probably wouldn't survive at all.

So Robin banked on the hope that her heart beat would slowly taper off and nobody would be the wiser.

He fell asleep in his chair; his face the very picture of friendly worry over his two comrades. His dreams were filled with death.

Cyborg checked in at six in the morning, and the sound of keys tapping woke Robin from his uneasy slumber.

"Is Starfire ok?"

"Yeah, but Raven isn't looking so good."

Robin glanced at Starfire's monitor and was gladdened to see the heart beat was now more regular and larger, as it should be. She would survive and Robin wouldn't have her death on his hands.

In the end, that's what it came down to. Who to blame?

And when Raven died, he'd make sure no fingers would be pointed at him. He was the caring, loving friend who stayed with her every day while she was in the infirmary. He was the one that cried as her last heart beat fell into a long, monotonous beep. And nobody would think he even had a hand in it.

"I'm going to run some tests, see if she has any toxins in her system."

"Are you sure you should do that?" Robin felt mild panic surging through him, "I'm pretty sure the robbers didn't do anything fishy."

Cyborg fixed his human eye on his leader, "Robin, are you going to sit there and lie right to me? Bank robbers couldn't do this to these two. You know that."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"No, Robin. I'm saying you aren't telling me the whole truth. Please, Rob, I need to know what happened."

Robin put his head in his hands, "Look, Cyborg, I don't know. I had my hands full. I didn't want to admit this, but… I didn't see what happened. I was so absorbed in what I was doing; I let the girls take care of themselves. When I looked back, they were like this. I should have done more… I should have saved them…" His voice began to crack, and a small tear welled up in his eye. If he wasn't a super hero, he thought to himself, he should go into acting.

Cyborg nodded, "You tried, man."

Robin cleared his throat roughly, "I… I need to use the bathroom." He disappeared into the bathroom.

Cyborg closed his eyes, unsure of what to believe. The extent of the injuries on Star suggested she was in a completely different attack than what happened to Raven. And the fact that Robin had only taken Raven with him to attack the robbers ate at him.

But Robin was the leader. He was the honor-bound oaf who would do anything for his friends.

This was all too confusing.

So he ran the tests on Raven and wasn't at all surprised to find a trace amount of a foreign toxin coursing through her veins.

Robin returned to his chair, "When will Star wake up?"

"It could be any time, Rob."

"Great," Robin forced a smile, "More waiting."

----------

The villain behind the attacks leaned back in his chair, frustrated. He hadn't counted on Robin's true hero shining through. Robin wasn't supposed to save Raven. Raven was supposed to convulse a few times and keel over.

Things were no long going according to plan. At this rate, he'd have to take care of the problem himself.

If you want something done right, you do it yourself. Or you hire a trained professional.

So he picked up his cell phone and dialed a number that he had memorized years before. His best friend worked at Jump City University as a Professor of Occult Studies.

"Hello. This is Professor Thompson. How can I help you?"

"Hi, Dick. This is Dmitri Smerdyakov. I need a favor."

"Dmitri! Good to hear from you. What do you need?"

"I need to capture Death."

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Dmitri Smerdyakov, otherwise known as the Chameleon, used fresh bat's blood on the ground. The bats lay lifelessly at his side, drained of all their liquid. The circle on Dmitri had drawn was a little unshapely, but that wouldn't matter in the long run. The symbols were correct, the blood was in place.

Now all he needed were the magic words and presto-change-o, instant Death Reaper.

He straightened up, grabbing the book the good Professor had loaned him. The words looked awkward and sounded even stranger coming out of his mouth.

"Slakih Shaskio Unchacu." That really was a mouthful. He was just glad he didn't have to say it five times fast.

The circle glowed a deep purple, there was a blinding flash of light, and then complete darkness.

Had it worked?

In the center of his circle lay an unconscious form. He smirked and looked closer; His prey was in his grasp. Why couldn't defeating Spiderman be this easy?

Quietly, he slipped into a Robin mask and costume, changing his mannerisms and speech to match the male Titan perfectly.

"Raven. Wake up."

She didn't stir.

"Oh dear. Our little Death Reaper is exhausted. I should let her sleep, but where's the fun in that?"

He changed the circle ever so slightly to deliver a minor electrical shock to Raven's body. She convulsed hideously, but sat up holding her head.

Her head was pounding like a thousand beavers had decided to slap her around a bit and her body didn't feel any better. As her vision cleared and her head dulled to a manageable throb, she glanced around. Toto, I don't think we're in Titans Tower any more…

Dmitri smiled happily, "Raven! You're awake!"

"Robin? What happened?"

"You fell and hit your head. You've been unconscious for three weeks!"

"So it was… all a dream? Why do I feel like hell?"

"It was a long drop, Rae."

She stood up unsteadily and tried to leave the circle. Magical boundaries leapt up from the floor to stop her.

"Robin, what is this?"

"Hey, Raven, why didn't you tell me you were a reaper?"

She narrowed her eyes, "I'm not."

"So you can't leave the circle because…?"

"Robin, this isn't funny. Let me go."

"I don't think I will."

She fell back to the ground, staring at him, "It wasn't a dream… You tried to kill me."

"Only because you hurt Starfire."

"No! You got her hurt!"

"Raven, Raven, Raven… If you hadn't have killed Mumbo, none of this would have happened."

"I didn't kill him! He was already going to die!" Her voice raised a few pitches, shaking.

"I cannot let you out of there until you come to terms with what you did, Friend Raven." His voice mimicked Star's perfectly, "You must realize that you have hurt me oh so much."

"Stop it! Stop playing with my head…" Her head. The beavers were back with a vengeance.

"You'll get used to the idea eventually. It only took me a few hours. But then again, I was able to realize I didn't kill anyone." Robin/Chameleon joined her on the ground, hands hooked around his knees, "You want to talk about it?"

"NO!" Raven's powers flew towards him and her cloak changed to a red shade. The wall protected him from it all, though it rebounded and plunged back at her.

It was all she could do to dodge the attack. Her cloak softened back to black.

"I didn't… kill anyone! I didn't."

"I can help you, Raven. All you have to do is promise to give me your powers."

"Robin… I can't do that." She rested her hand on her head, shooing off the beavers.

"Please, Rave. I want to help you. I don't like seeing you like this." He cajoled her easily, trying to charm her into believing she could trust him. What he forgot about was that she was an empath.

"No! You only want to hurt people!"

"Raven! I'll let you go if you give me your power."

"No."

His face twisted into pure rage, "Fine. Sit here in the dark." He turned and left her, only to change his posture into Beastboy and return a few moments later.

"Beastboy, you have to stop Robin. He's insane!"

"Raven, how could you kill Mumbo? I mean, he was a bad guy, I get it, but did you really have to kill him?"

"I don't know what Robin told you, but I didn't kill anybody."

"I'm sorry, Rae, I don't know who to believe anymore."

"Help me, Beastboy."

"I can only help you if you don't have your powers anymore."

"Beastboy! I can't give them up! Can you imagine a world without death?"

She forgot that the real Beastboy had no idea she was a walking death reaper.

"Just give them to someone else! Please, Rae. I really like you."

Now that really just ticked her off, "Just because I can reap souls, I'm some sort of evil creature not to be touched?"

His silence was answer enough.

"Get lost, Beastboy."

And he complied. This was definitely not going according to plan.

----------

The real Beastboy was getting worried. He was visiting the girls in the infirmary when suddenly Raven dissolved. Cyborg was just as confused; Sick people – and healthy ones for that matter – didn't just disperse into nothing.

They were distracted, though, but Starfire waking up.

"Star! You're awake!" Robin was the first to speak. He said nothing about Raven's disappearance. With her gone, he had nothing to worry about.

"Where is Friend Raven? I wish to thank her."

"For what?" Cyborg asked tersely.

It took Star a few minutes to come to her senses completely and tell her story.

"I last remember checking my closets for intruders. There was an odd odor, and then I must have fallen asleep. When I awoke next I was in terrible pain. I was nailed to a tree and my back was losing blood. Raven appeared in front of me and tried to help, but in her Rea—weakened state she could not help me. Friend Robin was fetched and I remember no more."

Robin felt his breath catch in his chest; what if Raven told Starfire it was his fault?

"Did she say anything to you?"

"Not that I remember." Star glanced at the bed next to hers, "She seemed quite ill. Where is she?"

Beastboy rubbed the back of his neck, "We don't know. She was right there until about when you woke up. Poof! Gone without a trace."

Star's face fell, "We must track her down."

Cyborg popped open the mini-screen on his arm, "I put a tracer on her as soon as Robin returned her here with you. It should be easy enough to find her."

A tiny blip on the screen showed them that Raven was fairly far away. Star insisted on coming with them on the rescue mission, and couldn't help but notice that Robin looked… disappointed?

By the time they found the run down warehouse, Raven had been visited by each of the Titan's team, including a bloody Starfire. Each demanded she relinquish her powers. Each time she refused.

So when the real deals stepped into the area of her capture, she screamed at them and hid her face.

"I told you all! NO! Get away!" Her words were accentuated by the occasional sob or hiccough and her voice was hoarse from yelling.

Starfire found her voice first, "Friend Raven. I do not understand…"

"Get away from me… I won't give up my Reaper powers to you filthy humans."

The three boys stared at their fallen comrade, confused.

"Raven, please, we do not wish that you do."

"Of course you don't. That's why you've all been in here one by one trying to force to give them up." She glared at them, wary.

"Star's right." Cyborg put in, "I didn't even know you had Reaper powers, whatever they are."

Raven's face grew angry, "And now you've come to laugh at me. So laugh and get out." She hid in her cloak, trying to ignore them, "At least this time you came all at once. I was beginning to think you were all one person just trying to trick me." A half crazy smile etched across her face. "I can hardly think with these beavers smacking me."

Beastboy took a step backwards. This was weird and creepy, not a combination he liked, and he voiced his concern, "I think she's lost it."

Another voice joined his, a suave voice, "I would agree, except that you can't lose what you never had. She was due for her breakdown any day now. I swear I can't let that girl out of my sight for very long."

All five Titans strained to look at the speaker, who stepped into the dim light. He was tall and immaculately dressed.

"She gets this way once a month or so, claiming she can reap souls. Perfectly insane."

Raven stared at him, and then back at her friends, "I've never seen him before in my life!"

"Raven, dear, I've been treating you since you were five! Don't act like that."

What was left of the color in her face drained, "I…" Tears slid down her face, "I don't know anymore. Just leave me alone!"

Robin recognized the voice, though. It was the man from the alley.

"What should we call you Dr…?"

"Dr. Turner. Malcolm Turner at your service."

Cyborg ran a bio scan on Raven from the distance; she seemed better than she had been before. Maybe this doctor knew what he was doing.

"Dr. Turner, I'm Cyborg. I've been caring for her since the accident yesterday. She seemed sane a short while ago."

"I'm afraid it comes and goes rather quickly and unexpectedly. She may regain her senses in a few minutes or a few days. One never can tell."

Cyborg nodded; it seemed viable, "Can we take her home? Maybe she'll feel more comfortable in her own home."

"I suppose that can be arranged. I'll set up a circle of protection in your Tower so she doesn't destroy anything in her delicate state."

Starfire narrowed her eyes, "Something smells of the diseased fish here."

"I think you mean something smells fishy."

"I know what I mean and this is not right."

"It's for her own safety, until we can reassure her that the reaping is not real."

"Not real? But I have seen her as a Reaper."

"Have you? When?"

"I was nailed to a tree…" Suddenly her story seemed almost surreal.

Robin smiled, "So it's decided. Dr. Turner can follow me back to the Tower. You three stay here and keep Raven company."

Starfire trained her eyes on her broken friend, "Raven, please tell me this is all a joke. You may yell the April Fools now."

Raven's eyes seemed animalistic, narrowed and drawn. There were dark bags beneath her eyes and she seemed abnormally twitchy.

"You're the one who's toying with me…" Raven muttered under her breath, "I wish you'd all just go away."

Robin and Dr. Turner stepped into fresh air, and Robin turned on the good doctor.

"What are you doing to her?"

"Isn't it obvious? Covering my tracks, and yours. If she believes she's insane, she won't say anything. You can go your way, the innocent teen super hero, and I can go mine, sadistic bastard."

Robin thought for a moment, and then nodded, "Let me show you to the Tower."

In the cave, Raven pulled further into herself.

Things were going better than planned.


	7. Discovery

Disclaimer – You sicken me. I also forgot to mention the borrowing of the idea of trapping death to Neil Gaiman's the Sandman illustrated novels. Read them. They rock. Find them at your public library.

Warning – Hmm. If you're this deep in my twisted web, why should I warn you of anything?

Other – I'm running out of stupid ways to ask for reviews. You know you really want to hit the little button. Give in to your urges! Oh, and I take criticism too. How shall I get better if nobody smacks me with a newspaper? Housetrain me today!

Sorry about the lack of update. I got stuck on this chapter. One more chapter to do.

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Raven was carefully knocked out and returned home. The circle was set up in the common room so that she could be surrounded by her friends and familiar things constantly.

A week passed, and she started getting better. Maybe it was all in her head.

The window was what really drew her attention and she spent hours gazing out it, silent. It was the constant in her peculiar new life. The sun rose and set on schedule. She used it to help keep a grasp on her self.

No matter what they told her, she just had to remind herself that it couldn't be just in her head, could it?

Star came into the room and approached the circle cautiously. Raven was not welcome to anybody talking to her since the cave incident and Star was hurt. She and Raven had become so close before it happened and now a gaping rift had broken their friendship.

She wished dearly to repair it in any way possible.

"Friend Raven? I hope to talk to you."

The silence that followed was expected. Star never wanted an answer.

"I am sorry if I have hurt you. Please believe that I am eternally grateful to you for saving my life in the woods. I… I truly believe you are a Reaper."

Raven covered her ears childishly, "I don't want to hear this."

"Please listen. I do not believe you have lost your mind! It is very much still in your head."

"It's a nice gesture, Star, but don't try. I can't forgive you."

Star was satisfied, though. Raven was sounding more like Raven each time they spoke. Starfire made sure to try and talk to Raven twice a day, sometimes more. She knew that Beastboy tried once every few days, but only with Cyborg with him. Beastboy was a little afraid of Raven these days.

The thing that surprised Star the most was that Robin made sure to come and visit Raven as much as she did. He would sit there in silence, just watching her. Sometimes his mouth would flap open for a moment, as if he was going to say something, but then he'd close it and remain silent.

A storm was gathering overhead, as if mimicking Raven's state of being. The grey clouds crowded together, rumbling in displeasure. A beam of lightning struck down right outside the window where Raven was currently situated. She didn't even flinch.

The flash of light illuminated her features, ever the same as they always were. If Raven was closed off to the world before, she was bolted shut now. It made Star's heart hurt to see her friend in such a position, but Raven had stopped responding to her at all.

Robin entered the room, shoulders bunched together. Barely noticing Star, he dragged a chair over to the edge of the magic circle, leaning back in it. Once again, his mouth dropped open.

But this time, something came out.

"Raven… I know you don't want to listen to this, or me for that matter, but we need to talk."

She didn't respond, but kept gazing out the window.

"I need to know how you killed Mumbo."

"Didn't…"

"I saw the video feed, Raven. It's ok. I won't turn you in."

"I…" She squinted her eyes, "It didn't happen. None of this is real."

"Yes, Raven, it did." Robin slammed a fist down on his leg.

"I'm not a Reaper."

"No, you're not."

Starfire floated up behind the Boy Wonder, "Friend Robin, I believe she is."

Robin glared at her, "You're encouraging her insanity."

"She is not insane! I have seen her as a Reaper. She told me when I knew she was very much in her right mind!" Star knew she seemed desperate and slightly crazy, but Raven needed someone to believe in her.

"Starfire, please." Raven fixed on of her eyes on Star. Her eyes used to be filled with life, but now they were dead, like doll's eyes, "I'm going to agree with Robin on this… I get it now, I'm not a Reaper."

Robin cut in again, this time with a better idea, "Raven, can you tell me what you imagined happened with Mumbo?"

She turned her head back to the window, "No."

"Rave, it'll help you heal."

The hesitation before the next answer made Robin doubt that there would be one.

"We were fighting him. You threw your metal box and I got this funny feeling from my midriff, a tugging sensation. I normally feel it when someone's about to die. So I ducked behind a statue and began to meditate, like always. I slipped out of my body and went to where Mumbo was collapsed on the floor, reached into his chest, and took his soul. I put the soul in a bottle. The bottle was later placed in my closet. I keep souls there until pick up day."

"Pick up day?" Robin's natural curiosity had been piqued.

"Once a month something takes them away. I don't know what happens; I've never seen it happen." She paused, thinking, "This month's pick up would be tomorrow."

Robin leapt out of his chair and dashed away. Raven's room was unlocked, as it usually was, ever since she had taken to living in the circle. Her closet door was slightly ajar, and he ripped it open all the way.

A pile of bottles lay on the ground.

He snatched one up and glanced inside; a filmy blue substance swirled around. This was… unbelievable. Raven was telling the truth. Taking the bottle with him, he hurried back to the main room.

Star hadn't moved from her spot, still staring forlornly at Raven's lackluster form. Robin clasped the bottle tightly before taking his seat.

"Raven… you really are a Reaper!"

That caught her attention.

"You've just spent the last… I don't know how long… trying to convince it was all in my head. Is this some sort of new way to mess with my mind?"

"No! I found one of the bottles!" It dawned on Robin, then, what he had did, "Oh crap… I… I can't believe myself… I let an innocent person take the punishment for my own actions… Raven, I'm very sorry."

She eyed him, "You should be. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm not a Reaper. Whatever you're trying to do, it won't work."

Starfire sighed, "Friend Robin, it is useless. Let Friend Raven think what she wishes."

Robin wanted to hurt himself. All this time he had blamed Raven…

"Raven, did I kill Mumbo?"

"No… he was already hurt… Not that it actually happened."

"Raven, it did." But it was too late. She had returned to her window, cutting her two friends out of conversation.

Star eyed the bottle, "I do wonder what would happen if one of the bottles was opened? Could Raven bring someone back to life?"

Robin rested his head in his hands, "I'm a jerk. I'm an idiot. Why didn't you stop me?"

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "I am sure Friend Raven will forgive you. You were… not thinking straight."

He covered her hand with his and gazed up at her, "Thanks Star. You don't blame me, do you?"

"Friend Robin, if Raven should recover, there is no blame to be given." She smiled at him and went to the kitchen to prepare Raven some dinner.

Robin cast a final gaze at Raven, eyes full of regret, before he turned to go track down the good Dr. Turner, righteous fury burning in his chest.

He hadn't felt like a real super hero since Mumbo's death, but it sure felt good to be back in the saddle.

Dr. Turner was resting up in the small room that Robin had provided for him. Turner was very happy with how things were going. At the rate that Raven was fading, she'd be ready to give up her powers any day now.

He fluffed his pillow with one hand, idly wondering what Robin was up to. The little hero was quite a basket case himself. It was pure luck that Robin had gone a bit stir-crazy over the Mumbo incident, and Turner was not above resorting to luck.

Robin knocked on Turner's door, before popping his head in.

"Dr. Turner? I need some answers, and I need them now."

"Ah, yes, young Robin. I was just thinking about you."

"About how you screwed with my mind?"

Turner's face didn't betray the shock he was really feeling.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You knew she was a Reaper, yet you tried to convince her she wasn't. You tricked me."

"Robin, she's not a Reaper. I don't know what she said to change your mind…" He raised his eyebrows, "but it is definitely not true."

Back in the kitchen, Star finished up her meal of toast, placing the decorated bread on a simple plate. She approached the circle and was struck with an idea. If she just erased part of the line, Raven would be free.

She set the plate on Robin's abandoned chair, and smudged the circle with her toe. The resounding explosion blew her across the room and into a wall. She coughed once, blood flying from her mouth, and slid to the ground unconscious.

The circle flared; it could only be released by the original maker.

Raven watched her friend fly across the room and felt the ever too familiar tug. That didn't exist. She turned to watch the storm.

Beastboy raced into the room, saw Star crashed on the floor and Raven in her place and assumed the worst. Raven had obviously attacked Starfire.

He ran to Star's side, picking her up. Cyborg crashed into the room, summoned by the noise.

"Cy! Raven attacked her! She's bleeding from the mouth."

"Raven did this? I thought her powers couldn't extend past the circle?"

Turner appeared behind them, "They can't. She tried to set Raven free; the circle can't be tampered with by outside sources. Only I can set her free. You might want to get poor Starfire to the infirmary before the internal bleeding gets too bad."

Robin pushed past Turner and ran to the circle, "Let her go! You know she's not insane."

"Robin, Robin, Robin… Get a hold of yourself, boy."

Cyborg glanced between the two of them for a moment, before pulling Beastboy to the infirmary to treat Star.

As soon as they left, Robin lunged at Turner, who ducked back, expecting that response. Turner hid behind the couch for a moment, turning himself into Mumbo.

"Robin… I thought that we were just havin' fun! It was just a joke, never meant any harm by it. Why'd you kill me?"

Robin snarled and pulled out his bo staff, swinging it with deadly strokes to punctuate his words, "I.Did.Not.Kill.Mumbo."

The Chameleon pulled out his next disguise; Raven. Robin glanced uneasily back at the real Raven. Chameleon frowned expressively.

"Robin… I didn't mean to hurt you. Why did you turn on me?"

"You aren't the real thing!" And then it hit him; Raven didn't know that Dr. Turner could change shapes. She had seen Turner appear as each of the other Titans, driving her over the edge, "And you hurt Raven!"

Turner smirked, chuckling as he ducked into shadows, coming back out as Dr. Turner, "I see that you can't be fooled by my childish disguises."

Robin attacked him and they locked hands, struggling for dominance. Pushing as hard as he could, Robin forced Turner to slide across the floor towards the window. Now it was Robin's turn to smirk.

"Nice move, Doctor."

Turner glanced down to his shoes, once pure white, now smudged with red. His mouth slipped open and he glanced at Raven, then at Robin. Clearing his throat, he ran and broke through the window, raining glass down upon the rocky shores.

"You haven't seen the last of meeeee!"

He seemed to plummet, but Robin knew that anyone with a pledge like that also had an escape route; he was right. A speed boat raced away from the Tower at a high speed. Instead of chasing Turner, though, Robin put his attention on his broken friend.

"Raven, you're free."

She stared at him blankly before whispering, "He didn't break the circle."

"He did! I pushed him through it, and he ruined it."

Raven got to her feet, unsteady. She tottered to the edge, closed her eyes, and tried to put her foot out.


	8. Indecision

Disclaimer – I don't own squat.

Warning – Nothing really in this chapter. Do you need warning of Death?

Other – Last chapter. Thanks for reading. It's been real.

Reviews? I would still appreciate getting some.

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Star was in bad shape.

Cyborg had no other way to put her condition.

Beastboy's hands were stained red from her wheezing.

Robin felt that he was being punished for mistreating Raven.

And Raven, Raven was still unresponsive to her friends. She vaguely knew Star was in pain, but her own senses were overwhelmed with the urge to meditate. But she wouldn't let herself do that. Meditating would be admitting to that she thought she was actually a Reaper.

So the three boys had to watch as their girls collapsed and there wasn't a thing any of them could do.

Two days of this stretched on, and Raven was beginning to lose sleep. She could no longer close her eyes without seeing images of Star lying in the hospital room waiting for a death that just wouldn't come.

Finally, if only to get some sleep, Raven settled on a chair in the infirmary, eyes fixated on Star's slack face, and began to meditate.

Almost immediately, she fell out of herself.

This couldn't be happening… could it? She shook her head; no this was a crazy hallucination caused by insomnia and lack of sleep. So she decided to see where this dream was taking her.

It took her to standing over Star, hand raised like a dagger. This was one messed up dream, she chided silently. Her hand dug into Star's chest, pulling out what she assumed was a soul. Acting upon her memories, however fake they must be, she tucked the soul into a small bottle.

She returned into herself, ignoring the flat-line beeping of the heart monitor connected to Star, and walked to her room. As far as she knew, all that happened was her going crazy again. She stored the bottle in her closet and collapsed on her bed, exhausted.

Robin burst into her room half an hour later, waking her up.

"How could you, Raven?" His voice was cracking and harsh.

"What?" She rubbed her eyes. Her dreams and experiences were getting too hard to distinguish. Might as well write this one off as a dream, too, and she muttered, "I'm really sick of this dream already."

"You aren't dreaming, Raven. You took her!"

"Who? Wait… you mean Star? I dreamed earlier that I took her soul. But that was just a dream. I can't really, you know, reap souls."

"You can, too." Robin ran to her closet and saw a solitary bottle lying on the ground, "This is Star's soul! Give it back!" He pulled on the cork top, unable to yank it free.

Raven felt a headache coming on, "We've gone over this, Boy Wonder. I, Raven, am not, and I repeat, am not a Reaper."

Robin threw the bottle on the ground and began stomping on it; for a glass bottle it was incredibly resistant to attacks. Raven took it in her hands, "I don't know what's in here, but I'm not opening it."

Cyborg rushed into the room, looking panicked, "Star's… she's not alive, but she keeps thrashing around."

Raven and Robin stared at each other before dashing down the hall. Beastboy met them in front of the hospital room.

"I'm not sure you should go in there," He laughed nervously, "I thought all those horror movies would get me ready for something like this…"

Robin barged past him, Raven tailing him closely. They stared jointly at their unstable friend. Her arms and legs were pinned down with leather straps, so she wouldn't hurt herself anymore.

Cyborg tapped a few buttons on the console, "All her internal injuries are fine, now. There's nothing physically wrong anymore, except being dead. And it doesn't explain her movements."

Robin stared at the bottle, "Raven, open the damn bottle."

"No! I told you! It's all just lies! It never happened…" Her voice became more and more uncertain as she kept speaking. This was one horrible nightmare.

"Ok. So it won't hurt to open the bottle."

Raven eyed it with distrust, "It's not going to help… Star's gone…"

Robin put the bottle in her hands, "Please, Rae, just do it."

Sighing deeply, Raven tugged the cork free; the soul wriggled out and zipped into Star's mouth. Raven fell to the ground in a faint.

As she went down, Star's eyes opened.

"What has happened to me? I feel as if have been squashed by the rolling truck." A hand flew to her head.

"Star!" Robin stumbled to her side, "You're ok."

She nodded, "Yes, thank you for asking Friend Robin." Glancing around, Star spotted Raven on the ground, "Why is Friend Raven on the floor?"

Beastboy gulped loudly, "Don't know…"

Using extreme care, Robin put Raven on one of the free beds.

"She was helping you and then she fell over. I hope she's ok… She's been through a lot."

Cyborg ran a quick scan, "She appears to be in top shape, so her break down was completely emotional."

"I was afraid of that," Robin released the bitterness he had been holding in, "I did this to her. I was so afraid that I had done something bad that I blamed the first person I thought was acting suspicious. And now she may never forgive me."

Star's normally cheerful face was solemn as she responded, "She may never forgive any of us, Robin."

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Raven sat by the window, despondent. She didn't know who, or what, to believe anymore. It had seemed so clear two months ago. And now… Now she couldn't figure out if she was supposed to be a hero or a mental patient.

The other Titans had gone on with life after Starfire's deathly experience, and she had tried joining them on a mission, but half way through, she neared the brink of mental exhaustion as the extreme tug on her midriff intensified and she fell out of the sky. Luckily Starfire had been watching and caught her before she smacked the hard cement beneath them.

She wasn't allowed out with them anymore. Not that she wanted to. Raven was content to sit by her window, in silence, and watch the world change.

Eventually, the tugging had numbed and she barely noticed it any more. Sometimes it grew stronger when the Titans came home from a particularly dangerous mission, but she never even tried to act upon it.

The insomnia had been getting worse, and the sleeping pills she had started taking now didn't affect her at all. So she spent her nights by the window, too.

Her eating had dropped off, too. It was all Starfire could do to force feed Raven a few pieces of toast at breakfast. Raven refused to eat anything other than that. Starfire was getting sick and tired of this irrational behavior.

The last straw came the day when Raven refused the toast completely.

"Raven! You are not acting like Raven! You must snap out of this, please!"

Raven watched a small blackbird soar through the air and felt a strange yearning to be outside in the fresh air.

"If you insist on thinking you are crazy, why do you not accept it?"

The bird twisted and darted around, carefree.

"Star… can you take me to the roof?"

Starfire was startled; Raven had not spoken in weeks, nor had she moved from her spot by the window. Star was overjoyed by this response.

"Glorious! Of course!"

And maybe the fresh air would knock some sense into the dilapidated Raven, so Star half lead, half dragged Raven up into the sunshine.

The sunlight made Star realize just how gaunt Raven had become.

"The sun feels… good." Raven sighed and spread her arms to the sky.

"Friend Raven, please think of what I said."

"Are you suggesting I let myself be insane?"

"If that is what makes you feel better. Was it so horrible to think you were a Reaper?"

"N..no…" Raven stuttered out.

"Then maybe you should let it be. Meditate, calm yourself. Follow your heart."

Raven stared up at the clouds, "I'm not sure if I want to be crazy anymore Star. Why can't I pretend this never happened?"

"Friend Raven, it did happen and you must deal with the consequences."

"I don't think I'm up to it."

"Please, you have to try."

Raven eyed her, full of distrust, "I'll think about it."

Star nodded, "I hope you will try to meditate."

Raven closed her eyes.

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Another story closed. This one won't have a sequel. I like where I ended it. It's up to you to decide if Raven ever becomes truly sane again. Sorry if you love closure, but I'm not into happy endings. I wrote a few endings for this, one ended with Raven dead and me depressed in the corner, one where Raven got better, and me depressed because this story isn't supposed to be happy, so I decided on something in between.

Toodles, Snix.


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